Magnetic picture frame and sign



June 8, 1965 K M. LONGO ETAL. 3,187,449

MAGNETIC PICTURE FRAME AND SIGN Filed June 1o, 1963 '9- 4 M/CHELE Lmvao N/C OLA DADONA TTDRNEY United States Patent() 3,187,449 MAGNETIC PICTURE FRAME AND SlGN Michele Longo, Waterbury, Conn. (50 Dalton St., @akville, Coma), and Nicola DAddona, 212 Platt St., Waterbury, Conn.

Filed `lune 1d, 1963, Ser. No. 286,594 1 Claim. (Cl. 419-10) This invention relates to display devices, and more particularly tO a magnet-containing frame having picture and sign sections, which may be detachably secured to an iron dashboard or other paramagnetic surface.

One object of the present invention is to provide a display device of the above nature which may be detachably secured to an iron automobile dashboard by magnetic attraction. Y

A further object is to provide a device of the above nature which will be simple in construction, inexpensive to manufacture, easy to install and manipulate, compact, ornamental in appearance, and very efficient and durable 1n use.

With these andv other objects in view, there has been illustrated on the accompanying drawing, one form in which the invention may conveniently be embodied in practice.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 represents an exploded view showing the separate parts of the display device in spaced apart relation.

FIG, 2 is a perspective View of the display device in' assembled position as it appears when attached to an automobile dashboard, shown in dotted lines.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view, taken along the line 3 3 of FIG. 2 looking in the direction of the arrows.

FIG. 4 is a longitudinal sectionalview on a larger scale, taken along the line 4-4 of FIG. 2.

Referring now to the drawing, in which like reference numerals denote corresponding parts throughout the several views, the numeral indicates an elongated rectangular frame havingside walls 11, 12, end walls 13, 14 and a front wall 22. The side walls 11, 12 and end walls 13, 14 extend rearwardly from the edges of the front wall, and at right angles to the front wall, and define an open rear for the frame. The front wall 22 of the frame has at its left hand iside a square aperture 24a behind which is located a square transparent sheet 15 which protects a square picture 16 located therebehind.

The right hand side of the front wall 22 isprovided with the words DRIVE CAREFULLY which are preferably embossed on the front wall, as indicated by the numeral 17.

Frictionally fitted within the side and end walls 11, 12, 13, 14 is a rectangular block 18 of cardboard having a small rectangular aperture 19 near the center thereof, within which is a rectangular magnet 20 held by friction therein. The location ofthe aperture 19 is such that when the cardboard block 18 is assembled with the frame 10 the aperture 19 is displaced entirely vto the right of the aperture 14a so that the full extent of the aperture 14a is backed by the material of the cardboard block. The cardboard block 18 is covered on its top, bottom, and ends with a cloth 21, the side edges of said-block being lett uncovered. l v g Patented June 8, 1965 ICC Operation In operation, the picture 16 will be placed Within the Open left hand square section or aperture 14a ofthe frame 10 and will be held against the rear rectangular cardboard block 18 and protected by the transparent front sheet 15.

While there has been disclosed in this specification one form in which the invention may be embodied, it is to be understood that this form is shown for the purpose of illustration only, and that the invention is not limited to the specific disclosure, but may be Inodied and embodied in various other equivalent forms without departing from its spirit. In short, the invention includes all the modiiications and embodiments coming within the scope of the following claim.

Having thus fully described the invention, what is claimed as new and for which it is Vdesired to secure Letters Patent is:

A display device comprising a frame having a flat and generally rectangular front Wall and two side walls and -two end walls extending along and rearwardly from the edges of said front Wall, said side walls and end walls being generally perpendicular to said front wall and defming therewith a cavity shallow in relation to the length and width of said front wall, said front wall further having a picture aperture located adjacent one end thereof and a sign section extending from said picture aperture to the other end of said front Wall, and an insert received in said lcavity and held in place relative to said frame by frictional engagement with at least two of said side and end walls, said insert including a generally rectangular cardboard block having approximately the same length and width as said frame wall and approximately the same depth as said end and side walls, said block further having an aperture therein located in its entirety behind said sign section of said front wall and having a portion backing the entire extent of said picture aperture of said frame, a magnet located in said aperture of said cardboard block for detachably holding said display device to a paramagnetic surface, said magnet being of such a size relative to said aperture in said cardboard block as to be held in place relative thereto by frictional engagement with said block and having a thickness substantially equal to the thickness of said cardboard block, and a strip of web material secured to the rear surface of said cardboard block and covering the rear face of said aperture therein to aid in holding said magnet in place.

References Cited bythe Examiner Y UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,201,700 10/16 Cohen 40-10 X, 1,671,392 5/28 wood 40-10 1,791,682 2/31 Morrison 40--10 2,659,169 1l/53 Brennan 40-'142 X 2,677,910 5/54 Morgan 40-142 X 2,977,082 3/61 Harris 40-142 X FOREIGN PATENTS 813,060 5/59 Great Britain.

ROBERT E. PULFREY, Primary Examiner. JEROME SCHNALL, Examiner. 

